Abdominal and garter support



1 Aug. 10, 1948. H. G. HILL ABDOMINAL AND GARTER SUPPORT Filed June 11, 1947 Tiara.

INVENTOR AQ-VEN 6164 Y 644L- Patented Aug. 10, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE v 2,446,590 ABDOMINAL AND GARTER snrron'r Helen Gray Hill, Port Washington, N, Y.

Application June 11, 1947, Serial No. 753,963

3 Claims.

which contributes to the effectiveness of the other.

Another object of the invention is to provide a unitary garter and abdominal support, adapted to support the abdomen at all times while also providing freedom of movement and maintaining substantially constant tension on the stockings regardless of the bodily movements of the user.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple and practical device of the above mentioned kind.

Other objects of the-invention will be in part obvious or in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, arrangements of parts, and in the several steps and relation and order of each of said steps to one or more of the others thereof, all as will be pointed out in the following description, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

The invention will best be understood if the following description is read in connection with the drawings, in which,

Figures 1, 2, and 3 are front, side and rear views respectively of the device in use;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of adevice embodying the invention;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line E6 of Figure 4.

The embodiment of the invention described herein comprises a strip of material [0, preferably elastic and on the order of three to four inches in Width, extending across the users back at the waist line and over the hips, with the end portions l2 and i4 crossed in front of the body and extending down over the abdomen to the users thighs respectively. The extremities of said members l2 and M are interconnected with the intermediate or back portion of the strip by straps l6 and I8 respectively, said straps being inclined forwardly at an angle substantially equal and opposite to the inclination of the end portions to which they are respectively attached thus defining triangular support means over the thighs respectively having the downwardly pointed apices l2 and Mi respectively. From the apex I2 formed by the intersection of end portion l2 and strap l6, garters 20 and 22 are suspended. Similarly from the apex M formed by the intersection of the end portion [4 and strap l8, garters 24 and 26 are suspended. They are disposed so that they are angularly related to one another and are substantially elongations of the-end portions l2 and i l and the straps l6 and I8 respectively. The garter of each pair of garters are adapted to extend to the front and rear. of the users leg respectively, and are provided at their lower ends respectively with stocking engaging means such for example as clasps c.

Because of the "ability of the device to distribute pulls and strain and thus accommodate bodily movements of the user the garters comprising each pair do not tendto move together around the users leg thus causing wrinkling of the stocking, but are maintained in place and exert a substantially constant tension on the stocking at all times regardless of the bodily movements of the user. The pull of the stockings conversely serves to hold-down the end portions 12 and 14 over the abdomen,

A triangular piece 28 is providedabove the up per margins of the crossed end portions l2 and Hi and cooperates with the intermediate or back portion of strip Ill to complete the encirclement of the users waist. This piece is attached along its lower margins to the top margins of the upper portions of said ends Hand 14 respectivel as by the lines of stitching m, we, thus bridging the V-shaped space between them. The upper portions of the top margins of said ends l2 and Id are thus each joined to piece 28 and the said top margins are directly jointed together at their point of crossing p. Below the said point of crossing of the upper margins the end portions are not secured together but one portion, portion It as shown herein, is provided with the loop member 30 extending longitudinally of said end member and attached thereto at its extremities, and the end I2 is threaded through the said loop 3!], whereby the said ends are slidingly related to one another and are thus kept together while being capable of relative movement to accommodate movements of the user.

The cross piece 23 is maintained in position at all times across the top of the users abdomen while the interconnected upper margins of the end members l2 and i l extend over the central portion of the abdomen and the crossed ends l2 and I4 extend over the lower portion of the users abdomen, giving support thereto while being capable of relative movement one to the other.

As shown in the drawings the strip I!) may comprise a plurality of parts adapted to be joined together at the rear of the user's waist as for exmeral 32.

ample by hooks and eyes or other attachment means indicated generally by the reference nu- And if desired the strip l may be further divided over the users thighs and the adjacent portions adjustably joined together as by laces 34.

The structure described provides a firm and constant abdominal support and at the same time provides garter support means which is self adjusting to movements of the body, so that bending for example in one direction will cause a relative movement between the portions l2 and I4 thus tending to maintain constant the position of the apices l2 and M of the triangular supports for the pairs of garters respectively whereby substantially even tension on the stockings is provided at all times regardless of body movements of the user.

Relative movement between end members l2 and I4 distribute the pull exerted on the users stockings in front or behind according to the bodily movement of the user, thus maintaining substantially constant tension on the stockings at all times, and without restricting the freedom of movement of the user, while the garters through their attachment to the users stockings create a steady downward pull on the bottom of the end members l2 and I4 thereby causing these members to exert a steady pressure on the abdomen. Thus the garters 2a and 22, and 24 and 26, and the end members l2 and (4, respectively, cooperate and interact in a way such that both the garters and the end members are more useful support means than they would be if either were used without the other.

It will thus be seen that there has been provided by this invention an article in which the various objects hereinabove set forth together with many thoroughly practical advantages are successfully achieved. As various possible embodiments might be made of the mechanical features of the above invention and as the art herein described might be varied in various parts, all without departing from the scope of the invention, it is' to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim is:

1. An abdominal and garter support comprising, a strip of elastic or the like extending across the users back and over the hips, with the end portions crossed in front of the body and extending down over the abdomen to the users thighs respectively, the upper margins of said crossed ends being interconnected at the point of crossing, but said ends being unconnected below their said upper margins, one of said end portions having a longitudinally extending loop through which the other end portion is threaded, straps interconnecting the intermediate, back portion of the strip with the extremities of said end portions respectively, and garters depending from the points of union of said straps and end portions respectively.

2. An abdominal and garter support comprising a strip of elastic or the like extending across the users back and over the hips, with the end portions crossed in front of the body and extending down over the abdomen to the users thighs respectively, a cross piece which cooperates with the back portion of the strip to complete the encirclement of the users waist interconnected between the upper portions of the upper margins of said end portions of said strip respectively above the intersection of said margins, said end portions being unconnected below the intersection of saidmargins but one of them having a loop through which the other is threaded so that said end portions are slidingly related, straps interconnecting the intermediate, back portion of the strip with the extremities of said end portions respectively, and garters depending from the points of union of said straps and end portions respectively.

An abdominal and garter support comprising a strip of elastic or the like extending across the users back and over the hips, with the end portions crossed in front of the body and extending down over the abdomen to the users thighs respectively, a triangular cross piece which cooperates'with the back portion of the strip to complete the encirclement of the users waist said cross piece extending above the intersection of the upper margins of said ends and connected to the upper margins of said end portions respectively, said end portions being unconnected below the said intersection of their upper margins, straps interconnecting the intermediate, back portion of the strip with the extremities of said end portions respectively, and garters depending from the points of union of said straps and end portions respectively.

HELEN GRAY HILL. 

